Value-wise, the Netherlands is the second exporter of fresh fruit and vegetables, after Spain. Quantity-wise, the Netherlands takes third place, following Spain and Mexico.
The Netherlands is the biggest exporter of fresh vegetables though, both looking at quantity and value. With fresh fruit, the Netherlands is the third (re)exporter value-wise, but quantity-wise the Netherlands takes 11th place, even though the Netherlands, on an international scale, is a very modest producer not only of fruit but also of vegetables.
Of the 59 fruit and vegetable products that have worldwide figures available, value-wise the Netherlands is the biggest for 11 of those. The Netherlands is also second in another 10 products, and the third largest in 6 products. So all in all, top-3 places in 27 products, nearly half of the total number. Spain is the country with the most top-spot products: 14. Other countries with multiple products in the top 3 are China (14), Italy (11), Turkey, Chile and Belgium (all 3 with 6 products). France, finally, has 5 products in the top 3 when looking at value.
The 11 products in which the Netherlands is the main exporter value-wise, include (2013 figures): tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, pears, grapefruit, beetroot, leek, Brussels sprouts and Belgian endive. The above results are based on 2013 figures. The export of fresh fruit and vegetables in all countries had a value of over 81 billion Euro that year.
World trade increased by over 50% in past 10 years
Quantity-wise, the export of all countries was 113 million tonnes. In ten years' time, the world (export) trade increased by half. The vegetable trade increased a bit more rapidly than the fruit trade. The Dutch share, quantity-wise, was stable, namely 7% of fruit and vegetables as a whole, 14% in vegetables and 3% in fruit.
World trade increased by over 50% in past 10 years
Quantity-wise, the export of all countries was 113 million tonnes. In ten years' time, the world (export) trade increased by half. The vegetable trade increased a bit more rapidly than the fruit trade. The Dutch share, quantity-wise, was stable, namely 7% of fruit and vegetables as a whole, 14% in vegetables and 3% in fruit.
Netherlands mainly big in products grown elsewhere
Of the ten major export products worldwide, the share of the Netherlands (quantity-wise) is the biggest in onions, namely 21%. With tomatoes, it's 14%, and bell peppers 15%. In the two biggest export products, bananas and apples, the Netherlands hardly plays a part. For bananas, the Netherlands already lost its pivotal role in Europe in the 1980s to Belgium (Antwerp), and for apples the share in world (export) trade is not bigger than 4%.
Poland, China and the United States are (2013 figures) the three main apple exporters. The pivotal role of the Netherlands as a trading country (for now?) is still noticeable in the high positions the Netherlands takes up as (re)export country in a large number of products that aren't grown in the Netherlands at all. The Netherlands, after Costa Rica and the Philippines, is even the third biggest international pineapple exporter, and takes fourth place in avocados. Worldwide, the Netherlands is the fifth largest exporter quantity-wise (in 2013) in grapes and grapefruit, seventh in oranges, lemons and melons, ninth in watermelons and tenth in soft citrus.
For more information:
Fruit & Vegetable Facts
Jan Kees Boon
+31 6 54 687 684
www.fruitandvegetablefacts.com